Dropped Points Would Make Title Difficult For Celtic - O'neill

Celtic person yet to prime up a convention constituent successful Dundee this season.

In October, they mislaid astatine Dens Park for nan first clip since 1988, while Dundee United hit them for a 2nd clip astatine Tannadice past clip out.

That took nan champions' convention defeats to eight, double past term's full and 5 much than nan run before.

By nan clip Celtic footwear disconnected (16:30 BST), Rangers will person hosted Dundee United connected Saturday (15:00) and Hearts will person played their crippled distant to Livingston earlier connected Sunday (14:00).

"Psychologically, there's an advantage to playing early if you spell and get your results," O'Neill said. "If you don't, it opens nan measurement for you.

"I'm hoping that betwixt now and nan extremity of nan season, it mightiness activity successful reverse.

"You conscionable person to effort and return attraction of your ain crippled that you are supposedly successful power of."

O'Neill gave an update connected injured players Arne Engels and Julian Araujo.

"It's a thigh," O'Neill said of right-back Araujo, who has returned to genitor nine Bournemouth for treatment. "He's doing good successful recovery, now. We expect to spot him back, hopefully successful nan not excessively distant future.

"Arne's travel backmost now. We'll see. Each time it's a bully time for him, he's trained astir of nan week. We'll conscionable support immoderate oculus connected things astatine this minute. We couldn't norm him retired aliases successful for Sunday."